eyes. Well, see for all your sly offers that great blond
dolt gapes and gapes over your bait, never closing to it. That northern
blood is half brine.'

Rhoda stood speechless; her anger, shame, and pain transcended blushes,
and she changed to dead white.

'And you pick out one who can love like a man, who fires at a word or a
look, and him you delight to stab and torment with your cruel tongue,
while you use him for your ends. Shameless! You have dropped yourself
into his arms even, so to heat the Alien from his fishes' blood. May I
live to see you put to shame of some man!'

'He said--oh, vile--of me! Cur, cur!'

''Tis I that can read between the lines, not he, poor blind fool! Miscall
him! ay, you have got the trick. You may bring up faults against
him--some do; but I tell you no man will do greatly amiss who still goes
to his old mother and opens his heart to her.'

Rhoda's breath caught like a sob at that, for there unknowingly went a
stroke at Christian. She gathered herself together for bitter onslaught,
for outraged pride and indignation drove out compunction, drove out any
mercy. Out it all shrivelled at a blasting thought that stopped her very
heart. Mute she stood, white, shuddering, staring. Then she got out a
whisper.

'When did he go--tell me? Since--my uncle died--or--before?'

'Well enough you know 'twas before----'

Rhoda turned and fled homeward, fleet as terror, though her knees went
slack and her brain reeled. She drew bolts before her dreadful incoherent
whispers welled out to Lois.

'Where he went she did not know, did not guess, never thought it was on a
planned venture. None would think of that, or think that two alone would
suffice, or dream of Christian--I had thought that strange--you too. And
we know Christian went on a venture, by the three gold pieces we know:
and that could not have been alone, and he is not of the League. And I
thought it had been with Philip; and I thought Philip meant
kindness--perhaps for my sake, which vexed me. Oh, perhaps it was for my
sake, and I was vexed! Yet see, none others guess it nor do conceive that
any, in any cause, would go hand in hand with our Christian. And none
would greatly mark his goings and comings--Christian's--for unreason has
so chartered his ways. Then, though both were away that same day, not
even his mother had noted it. And oh! think of Christian in these days!
Has sorrow only been heavy at his heart? And a hurt on his throat he